Theme of the month - Cities

Boston - A pedestrians’ paradise!

Boston was once regarded as one of the loveliest cities in the US. Then, in the 1950s, the city built an urban freeway through the downtown area, cutting it off from the waterfront. A giant construction project called the Big Dig has restored the city’s original layout and infused Boston with new life

Downtown Boston: A group of Italian tourists follows a trail of red bricks set into the sidewalk. They pass Park Street Church, whose snow-white tower looks like a lavishly frosted wedding cake. A little further on, they come across the heraldic animals of the United Kingdom, a unicorn and a golden lion, decorating the gabled roof of the Old State House. A couple of teenagers gaze upward in wonder, their cameras clicking. “It’s just like Disneyland!,” one of them cries.

The difference is that everything here is real. Boston, the capital of the US state of Massachusetts, is one of a very few US cities to have so many historic places located so close together. Parts of the old town have even been declared a “national historic park.” The red bricks mark the famous Freedom Trail, a roughly four-kilometer-long path built in 1958 to connect the sites where Boston’s citizens fought for independence from England in the 18th century. Last year, roughly three million visitors walked the Freedom Trail, more than ever before.

But it’s not just history that draws tourists to Boston. A few years ago, one of the world’s biggest urban construction projects, informally known as the Big Dig, was completed, eliminating some of the city’s worst engineering blunders and infusing downtown Boston with new life.“Boston stands for science, liberal thinking, Harvard, MIT, the Kennedys and for its historical past,” says Hubert Murray, the architect in charge of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, as the Big Dig is officially known.

Freedom Trail

A red line connects Boston’s historic buildings, which include the Old State House, the former seat of the British colonial government. Visitors are welcome to follow the Freedom Trail with or without joining a tour. Trail details are available from the three Visitor Centers.

Institute of Contemporary Art

The Seaport District is one of the neighborhoods that have blossomed since the Big Dig. It is also where the spectacular new building housing Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art can be found gracing the waterfront.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

“JFK” is arguably Boston’s most famous son. Ieoh Ming Pei’s monument to the 35th president of the United States of America is located a couple of kilometers southeast of the city center. The exhibition rooms and movie theaters bring the 1960s back to life.

Mandarin Oriental

One of Boston’s swishest hotels – and not just because it offers the height of luxury. The Asana restaurant serves authentic New England cuisine and mouthwatering desserts dreamed up by pâtissier Nelson Paz. Lovely spa.